NWSL

The National Women's Soccer League announced Thursday that it awarded Denver an expansion franchise.

Denver will begin play during the 2026 season, along with the Boston expansion franchise, bringing the NWSL from 14 teams to 16.

The team's ownership group is led by controlling owner and governor Rob Cohen, and it also includes former Washington Commanders team president Jason Wright.

Regarding the decision to choose Denver as the location for the NWSL's 16th franchise, NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman said the following:

"As the NWSL continues its rapid growth, we knew it was critical to launch our 16th team in a city with a passionate sports culture and vibrant fan base, and Denver is the perfect match. The club's plans for a purpose-built stadium and state-of-the-art training facility demonstrate a commitment to providing world-class environments for our players and fans alike. With this ownership group's vision and dedication, we are confident that Denver NWSL will set new standards for excellence on and off the pitch, inspiring the next generation of players and supporters across the Rocky Mountain region."

Cohen also commented on Denver landing a team in the top professional women's soccer league in the United States, saying:

"Denver is one of the best sports cities in the United States and we are thrilled to bring professional women's soccer to Colorado,. We believe that bringing NWSL to Denver will be impactful and transformative. Our goal is to work closely with Denver's diverse communities to build a club that will operate with integrity and excellence from day one. We look forward to collaborating with our community to make Denver NWSL an inclusive and special club that all of Colorado can rally behind."

Denver securing an NWSL expansion team is a landmark moment for the city since it marks the first time Denver has been home to a professional women's sports franchise.

The NWSL was founded in 2012 and played its first season in 2013, and the league has steadily grown since then.

After starting with eight teams, the NWSL went to 10 teams in 2021, 12 in 2022 and 14 in 2024.

When Denver and Boston are added to the mix in 2026, the league will have doubled in size since its inception.

The NWSL is adding a 16th team that will be located in Denver.

Per Eben Novy-Williams of Sportico, IMA Financial Group CEO Robert Cohen is among the principal backers of the new franchise paying a $110 million expansion fee.

Novy-Williams noted the expansion fee is the richest ever for a U.S. women's sports team and more than double the previous record for an NWSL club.

NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman confirmed in November that Denver was among three cities vying for the expansion franchise, along with Cleveland and Cincinnati.

"The process is ongoing, and we're really enthusiastic about the final three prospects that we have in the process," Berman said. "We'll have news to share in the coming weeks as we move to close with one of those three markets."

Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark was a surprise addition to the Cincinnati group that was led by the owners of the MLS team FC Cincinnati.

According to Novy-Williams, topline price and timeline of payments for the expansion fee—up front vs. over a longer period—can be a "critical piece of expansion negotiations." The Denver group submitted its first payment to the NWSL on Tuesday, but it's "unclear" how much was paid.

Denver will debut in 2026, alongside the new franchise in Boston that was announced in September 2023. The addition of two clubs means the NWSL will have added eight new teams to the playing field since the start of the 2021 season.

Boston Unity Soccer Partners paid a $53 million expansion fee that was the same amount as Bay FC in 2023.

Bay FC and the Utah Royals both debuted in the 2024 season. The NWSL began in 2013 with five teams. The 14 active franchises are currently worth a combined $1.46 billion (average of $104.3 million), per Sportico.

There is no indication at this point where the Denver franchise will play home games. This will become the fifth major professional sports team based in the city, along with the Colorado Rockies (MLB), Denver Broncos (NFL), Denver Nuggets (NBA) and Colorado Avalanche (NHL).

Los Angeles Lakers icon Magic Johnson joined Washington Spirit star Trinity Rodman in celebrating her tying goal during a 2-1 win over the Portland Thorns on Saturday.

Rodman scored in the 60th minute before running to the sideline and high-fiving Johnson and Spirit majority owner Michele Kang.

The Spirit announced on Thursday that Johnson had invested in the club.

His company Magic Johnson Enterprises also holds stakes in the WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks as well as the NFL's Washington Commanders and MLB's Los Angeles Dodgers.

Kang purchased the Spirit in March 2022 for a then-NWSL record of $35 million following the franchise's win of the 2021 NWSL Championship.

NWSL franchise values have since skyrocketed, with Angel City FC selling majority rights to Disney CEO Bob Iger and his wife Willow Bay in July for a record valuation of $250 million.

Over that span the Spirit's popularity has also increased. The NWSL club has upped its average attendance from 5,000 people at the time of Kang's purchase to 14,000 attendees per game, according to the franchise.

Johnson said in a statement that he was "excited to join the Washington Spirit's investor group at such a pivotal time in the club's history.

"Partnering with a visionary like Michele Kang and her team to advance the growth of the Washington Spirit and the NWSL is an incredible opportunity," Johnson said. "I'm excited to join the team and play my part to help elevate this organization."

Part of that excitement has stemmed around the Spirit's success so far in 2024 as the club climbed to 12 wins for the second time in franchise history, and the first time since 2016, with an Aug. 25 against the Kansas City Current.

The Spirit then earned a record 13th win on Saturday thanks to Rodman's tying goal and her assist Leicy Santos' game-winner.

Rodman recently won gold with the U.S. Women's National Team at the 2024 Paris Olympics after scoring a key goal in the USA's quarterfinal win over Japan.

The 22-year-old forward has scored seven goals and added five assists in 18 starts for the Spirit this season, including her two contributions against the Thorns.

Washington Spirit midfielder Croix Bethune suffered a season-ending torn meniscus, an injury that appears to stem from her throwing out the first pitch before a Washington Nationals game.

Bethune, who was an alternate for the United States women's national team at the 2024 Summer Olympics, was honored along with other Spirit teammates before the Nationals' 5-2 win over the New York Yankees on Aug. 28.

The Washington Post's Steven Goff reported the 23-year-old injured her knee while making the pitch. Goff noted she previously suffered three ACL injuries in high school and college.

In their announcement, the Spirit said only that the torn meniscus happened "away from training last week." Coach Jonatan Giráldez alluded to the cause after Sunday's 1-1 draw with San Diego Wave FC.

"She had a problem making the first pitch in the baseball game," he told reporters. "She is not going to be available this season. It is part of life. You have to keep going."

Bethune was the third overall pick in the 2024 NWSL draft. She made 17 appearances for Washington and is third on the team in goals (five) while leading the league with 10 assists.

The Spirit are second in the NWSL table with 38 points, six behind the first-place Orlando Pride, and have eight matches left in the regular season.

Angel City FC became the most valuable team in women's sports Wednesday when USC Annenberg School dean Willow Bay and Disney CEO Bob Iger purchased a controlling stake in the NWSL club for a valuation of $250 million.

The agreement "is subject to customary closing conditions, including the approval of NWSL," the club noted.

Bay and Iger will additionally invest $50 million "to support the club's future growth," Angel City FC said in a statement.

"When we look at areas of opportunity, we certainly think player development and player support is on the list of priorities without question," Bay told ESPN's Jeff Kassouf.

The sale breaks the NWSL record for a franchise valuation set in March by the San Diego Wave, which sold in a two-part deal valued at between $113 and $120 million, Sportico's Eben Novy-Williams reported.

Angel City FC was launched in 2020 with Reddit co-founder and husband of tennis legend Serena Williams Alexis Ohanian as the founding controlling owner. Ohanian is not selling his shares and will remain on the franchise's board of directors after the sale, Angel City said.

In the three seasons since its launch the club has grown to record the highest revenue of any women's sports team in 2023, according to Angel City FC.

That matches evaluations published by Sportico's Kurt Badenhausen in October 2023, which ranked Angel City first in the NWSL with an estimated franchise valuation of $180 million. The next most profitable franchise, San Diego Wave FC, was valued at $90 million, and the average was $66 million, per Sportico.

That NWSL-leading valuation for Angel City FC was in part to the club's projected $31 million in revenue, $11 million of which was estimated to come from sponsorships, per Badenhausen. Badenhausen noted that sponsorship total was "more than some MLS teams."

In addition to high sponsorship numbers, Angel City FC also ranked first in the NWSL in attendance, sponsorship revenue, total revenue and season ticket membership during the 2023 season, the club said.

The sale marks both the growing profitability of the NWSL, which last November signed the largest broadcast deal in women's sports league history, as well as Angel City's progress toward earning a billion dollar valuation. Angel City FC president Julie Uhrman, who will also remain on the franchise's board of directors following the sale, last year told The Athletic's Steph Yang that the team's goal was to hit the 10-digit mark by 2028.

United States Women's National Team star Trinity Rodman and NFL wide receiver Trinity Benson now share more than just a first name.

TMZ Sports noted Rodman, who is the daughter of basketball Hall of Famer Dennis Rodman, confirmed she is dating Benson on an Instagram post she captioned, "Trinity squared."

Rodman is known for much more than being the daughter of the Chicago Bulls and Detroit Pistons legend who won five NBA championships. She was the youngest player drafted into the NWSL in the league's history and plays forward for the Washington Spirit.

She helped lead the Spirit to the 2021 NWSL title.

Rodman also has 36 appearances for the USWNT, which is a number that figures to continue increasing in the coming years since she is only 22.

As for Benson, he is currently a free agent this offseason.

He appeared in nine total games for the Detroit Lions during the 2021 and 2022 campaigns and tallied 10 catches for 103 yards.

Sophia Smith will reportedly be the highest-paid player annually in the National Women's Soccer League after she and the Portland Thorns agreed to a new deal Wednesday.

According to Jeff Kassouf of ESPN, the forward's new contract keeps her in Portland through the 2025 campaign with a 2026 option. While the specific numbers of the deal weren't shared, Smith will be paid more annually than the deals ranging between $2 million and $2.5 million that Mallory Swanson of the Chicago Red Stars, Racheal Kundananji of Bay FC and Barbra Banda of the Orlando Pride signed.

"There is no place like Portland," Smith said. "I don't believe there's an environment like Portland to play in and it's a city that's so special to me and a city that I feel like I've grown up in almost and become who I am."

This deal will keep Smith with the team that selected her with the No. 1 overall pick of the 2020 NWSL draft and prevent her from becoming a free agent after the 2024 campaign.

Yet more than just familiarity played a role in her decision.

As Kassouf noted, "former Thorns controlling owner Merritt Paulson, under increasing fan pressure in 2022, eventually agreed to sell the team after multiple investigations detailed how he and Thorns management mishandled prior player complaints and enabled alleged abuser Paul Riley to continue working in the league."

For her part, Smith said having the Bhathal family purchase the team "changes everything" because she had "just been waiting for some stability and some reassurance that this club is headed in the right direction, and the Bhathal family coming in is doing exactly that, if not more."

Her decision to stay in Portland is welcome news for the team and its fans, as her resume includes a league MVP (2022), a Golden Boot (2023) and 34 regular-season goals. She also led the Thorns to the franchise's third NWSL championship in 2022.

Smith is just 23 years old and has also established herself as one of the faces of the next generation of stars for the United States Women's National Team. She has 16 goals in 44 appearances for the national team and started in the 2023 World Cup.

With the contract situation settled, she and the Thorns will look to turn things around after a slow start to the 2024 season.

They lost their opening two games to the Kansas City Current and NJ/NY Gotham, although Smith already has two goals on the campaign. Next up for Portland is a game against Racing Louisville FC on Saturday.

The Houston Dash have relieved goalkeepers coach Matt Lampson of his duties after a reported relationship with a player on the team, which is in violation of the NWSL Anti-Fraternization Policy and NWSL Coach Code of Conduct.

Theodore Lloyd-Hughes of The Equalizer first reported the news Wednesday. A Dash spokesperson released this statement via email.

"Houston Dash goalkeeper coach Matt Lampson was terminated on March 18," the email read.

"We respect the privacy and confidentiality of our players and employees and will not comment on specific details of Club employment matters."

A third-party attorney retained by both the Dash and NWSL conducted an investigation after allegations that Lampson "[crossed] professional boundaries with a Dash player."

An NWSL spokesperson stated the following to ESPN's Jeff Kassouf:

"The investigator determined that Lampson violated the NWSL Anti-Fraternization Policy and NWSL Coach Code of Conduct which require coaches to maintain strict adherence to professional boundaries but did not find a violation of the NWSL Anti-Harassment Policy which is focused on preventing abusive, discriminatory, or harassing behavior."

Kassouf also relayed excerpt from the NWSL's Anti-Fraternization policy, which is not available to the public.

"NWSL Supervisors may not engage in, develop, continue, or pursue any romantic and/or sexual relationships or encounters, even when consensual, with any employee (including NWSL players or trialists) over whom they currently have direct or indirect supervisory authority or management influence," the policy states.

"This prohibition includes relationships that pre-date the hiring of such Supervisor or non-Supervisor or pre-date this policy ('Pre-Existing Relationship'). All relationships set forth in this paragraph are strictly prohibited."

The NWSL has also suspended Lampson from future employment in the league through the end of the 2024 campaign "due to these violations and a lack of full cooperation" during the investigation, the spokesperson offered to ESPN.

The 34-year-old Lampson made 51 appearances in MLS for the Columbus Crew, Chicago Fire, Minnesota United and LA Galaxy from 2012-2020.

Following his playing career, Lampson served as a volunteer assistant goalkeeper coach for Ohio State, his alma mater, as well as Ohio Dominican University. He joined the Dash as their goalkeepers coach in March 2022.

Patrick and Brittany Mahomes, who are part of the Kansas City Current's ownership group, spoke on SportsCenter on Saturday morning about the possibility of Taylor Swift supporting the NWSL franchise at historic new CPKC Stadium, the first women's professional sports stadium in the world.

"We might get her here at some point, she's a busy woman and Travis is a busy guy," Patrick Mahomes said.

"So, maybe during season or something like that we'll get her out to a Kansas City Current game. She loves supporting Kansas City just like we do and I'm sure Brittany can nudge her and get her here pretty easily."

Brittany Mahomes then added: "That's definitely on me, that's definitely on me. I'll work on it, I will work on it."

Swift has previously attended many Chiefs games in support of the team and her boyfriend, tight end Travis Kelce.

Mahomes joined the ownership group in Jan. 2023, becoming the first NFL player to have a stake in an NWSL team.

The Current open their season (and debut their stadium) today in a match with Portland Thorns.

Although Swift won't be present at the game and will be busy on the Eras International Tour for the remainder of the calendar year, the Current do have 12 more home matches, so it's possible she could attend at least one somewhere along the line.

The season runs until early June until taking an Olympic break before picking back up again in late July until November.